Review Blog

Feb 22 2010

King Lear adapted and ill.by Gareth Hinds

Candlewick Press, 2007. ISBN 9780763643447.
(Age 14+) Recommended. King Lear is one of Shakespeare's most
profound
and challenging plays. Students who have been guided through the plot
and stirring themes by a teacher remember the experience for life.
While recorded performances are available, opportunities to see a live
performance are rare.
Gareth Hinds believes that 'the graphic-novel is a perfect bridge
between the printed word and theatrical performance.' Following his
successes with The Merchant of Venice and Beowulf, he
has applied his
artistic skills and understanding of literature to King
Lear. The story is illustrated with drawings which
emphasise the humanity of the characters and the pathos of their
predicaments. The conventions of drama, such as its division into acts
and scenes, have been dispensed with so that the result is more like a
novel than a play.
The choice of dialogue makes no concessions to a reader who finds
Shakespeare's language daunting. From the opening line to the final
curtain, the only words in the speech bubbles are those of the
playwright. Sound effects, such as 'Whock', are a little incongruous
but do not detract from the dramatic effect.
In the comprehensive Notes, the author explains the reason for some of
his omissions from the original work and his thoughts about the play.
His insights are worth reading for their own sake.
Gareth Hinds' King Lear is unlikely to satisfy readers familiar
with
the play or provide an entree into Shakespeare's work for younger
students. It may, however, help to make a complex work more accessible
and comprehensible to young adults.
Elizabeth Bor